Association of Cricket Officials Issue 27 | Page 22

Taufel Takes Up New Role Simon Taufel has taken up a new role with Cricket Australia (CA) as its Match Referees and Umpire Selection Manager. The role will involve leading the CA’s Match Referee Panel, managing match referee and umpire appointments, and performing match referee duties. Furthermore, the role will be responsible for ensuring CA’s ‘umpire assessment criteria and processes are robust, consistent and fair’. This reportedly comes after a recommendation from CA that the current system wasn’t maximising the opportunities for some to reach the top of the umpiring pyramid. History Repeats Itself Most of you will remember the Ian Bell run out incident in 2011 in which Bell was run out whilst walking off for the tea break, having mistakenly assumed a ball had crossed the boundary rope for four. In this instance, India, to widespread praise, withdrew the appeal during the interval as they believed it contravened the Spirit of Cricket. The man who removed the bails in that particular incident was Abhinav Mukund, and in a cruel twist of fate, history repeated itself in a Ranji Trophy match in India. Mukund, playing for Tamil Nadu against Railways, hit the ball to deep square leg, reaching his century with the second run. Whilst completing a third run, Mukund believed he saw the ball cross the boundary and began to celebrate a game-changing ton with his batting partner. The quick thinking Railways wicketkeeper gathered the ball and threw it to the bowler’s end where a fielder removed the bails and Mukund was run out. Unlike the national team five years earlier, Railways upheld the appeal and Mukund was forced to walk. After the game, he said: ‘[I feel] so sheepish about the whole thing. I thought it had gone for four. It was also the last ball of the over and I was celebrating. I realise it was my mistake, it wasn’t a dead ball I guess. I could have reached the other end comfortably. I was batting well and it was an important situation in the game.’ 22 email us at [email protected] contact us on 0121 446 2710